Monday, March 7, 2016

Love,
jealousy, envy, spite... murder!! All ingredients that might make for
one of Fr. Haynos' Sunday sermons! But no, nothing of the kind. This was
instead the stuff of the 15th Annual Laetare Dinner Theatre and this year's
production of "The Game's Afoot!", a Murder Mystery/Comedy in Two Acts
by Kenneth Ludwig.

Mrs. Hilary Flanery, Director/Actress of the
Queen's Players of St. Mary's Assumption, assisted by Mrs. Vicki
Hinzpeter, once again led her fearless troupe of actors in delighting
two sold-out audiences with their production on another Laetare Sunday
weekend. And how fitting for this weekend it was, as Holy Mother Church
gives us this brief break in the midst of the long penitential season of
Lent to stop and rejoice, remembering that soon we will be celebrating
the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, just three
weeks hence. It is with this great Hope that we are emboldened to
persevere in our sacrifices and reparations until then. But this Laetare
weekend our focus is rejoicing in the Truth, and relaxing for this time
in some merriment and mirth shared together among the faithful, all of
which is rendered effortless by the entertainment of the Queens Players.

The
play opens with the last scene of a production of a Sherlock Holmes
play at the Palace Theatre in New York, circa 1936. Mr. Matt Grahek
leads the cast as the dashing William Gillette, the star of the play,
who is shot during the final scene, but survives this attempt on his
(.... or was it his?) life. The story then moves to Mr. Gillette's
mansion in Connecticut where he and his elderly mother, played most
convincingly by the far-more-youthful Miss Emily Crouse, are
entertaining their actor friends on Christmas Eve.

J. Binsfeld, M. Grahek, S. Crouse, H. Flanery (under blanket)

As guests
arrive at the party, it is not long before the suspicion arises as to
who might be responsible for the attempt on Gillette's life, and others'
lives too, it soon becomes apparent. But it is with the arrival of
Daria Chase (Mrs. Hilary Flanery) gossip columnist and socialite
extraordinaire, with a hairdo that is a perfect combination of Cruella
DeVil and Don King, that the tension begins to heat up. The flames of
suspicion are fanned by Daria's gossipy rendition of what happened at
the Killington ski resort just one year prior when actress Aggie
Wheeler's (Miss Bernadette Kohler) millionaire husband suddenly dies in
an accident on the slopes, money-hungry actor Simon Bright (Mr. Kyle
Matteson), despite already having a girlfriend, comes to the quick and
emotional rescue of seemingly-sweet Aggie and marries her, and it is
further revealed that a doorman at the theatre has had his throat slit.
Everyone present becomes at once a suspect!

Matteson, Kohler, Kallal, Flanery, E. Crouse, Grahek, S. Crouse

Daria soon turns to
her experience as a medium to call up from the dead a witness to the
murders. Mrs. Flanery is hilarious as she attempts the summons of
"Lorentia!!" and the guests all get nervous over what is taking place as
well as being potentially blamed for the murder they did (or did not)
commit. Daria herself is then mysteriously stabbed in the back and her
corpse hidden (after Gillette's elderly mother confesses quite
matter-of-factly to the crime) in the retractable bar. Felix and Madge
Giesel (played by the ever-dry Mr. Steve Crouse and Mrs. Donna Kallal
who could win a screaming contest anywhere!) two more actors at the
party, add their own measures of anxiety, suspicion, and jealousy to the
ring, when in walks Inspector Goring (Miss Jane Binsfeld), a younger Miss
Marple if there ever was one, complete with her British accent, to
attempt to solve the crimes once and for all. Gillette, a real-life
Sherlock Holmes wannabe, is not about to see his mother convicted, but
is also intent on finding the murderer(s). And thus the tale ensues!

The
production is definitely a murder mystery turned comedy as the cast
was brilliant in their delivery of lines, facial expressions and
gestures, and especially as regards dropping St. Mary's parishioners'
names into their lines. The left-right-left-right shift of faces and
eyes in perfect sync with each other and the sound track was
laugh-out-loud funny each time nurse Karen Hayes' name was mentioned.

If audience
reaction was any indication, the show was a magnificent success. The
catered pre-performance dinner and drinks were delicious; the
opportunity for friends to relax and enjoy one another's company and the
evening's entertainment was sublime.

All proceeds of the annual
production go to Queen of the Holy Rosary Academy, where children pre-K
through 8th grade are taught in a traditional Catholic setting, assist at Mass several times a week, and learn their faith, in a concerted effort
to fulfill the Academy's mission to raise up children who will become
faithful Catholic leaders by way of vocations to the priesthood and
religious life, or as single or married Catholic men and women.

And
so, a hearty thanks and God's blessings on all the cast and
behind-the-scenes crew members of the Queens Players for their many
hours of hard work on this year's production of "The Game's Afoot", and
for entertaining well our beloved priests, faithful, friends, and
family. We hope to have the privilege of enjoying many more Laetare
Dinner Theatre productions in the years to come!